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Exodus 28-31
New King James Version

Garments for the Priesthood(A)

28 “Now take (B)Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as (C)priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: (D)Nadab, Abihu, (E)Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 And (F)you shall make [a]holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 So (G)you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, (H)whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. 4 And these are the garments which they shall make: (I)a breastplate, (J)an [b]ephod, (K)a robe, (L)a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and (M)a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

The Ephod

5 “They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, 6 (N)and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. 8 And the [c]intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

9 “Then you shall take two onyx (O)stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their (P)birth. 11 With the work of an (Q)engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So (R)Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders (S)as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

The Breastplate(T)

15 (U)“You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. 17 (V)And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a [d]sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a [e]jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a [f]beryl, an [g]onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; 25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the [h]intricately woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.

29 “So Aaron shall (W)bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 And (X)you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the [i]Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

Other Priestly Garments(Y)

31 (Z)“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. 33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

36 (AA)“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may (AB)bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their [j]holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be (AC)accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall (AD)skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

40 (AE)“For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make [k]hats for them, for glory and (AF)beauty. 41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall (AG)anoint them, (AH)consecrate them, and [l]sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. 42 And you shall make (AI)for them linen trousers to cover their [m]nakedness; they shall [n]reach from the waist to the thighs. 43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near (AJ)the altar to minister in the holy place, that they (AK)do not incur [o]iniquity and die. (AL)It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

Aaron and His Sons Consecrated(AM)

29 “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: (AN)Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, 2 and (AO)unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour). 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.

4 “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, (AP)and you shall wash them with water. 5 (AQ)Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with (AR)the intricately woven band of the ephod. 6 (AS)You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 And you shall take the anointing (AT)oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. 8 Then (AU)you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. 9 And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. (AV)The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall (AW)consecrate Aaron and his sons.

10 “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and (AX)Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on (AY)the horns of the altar with your finger, and (AZ)pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. 13 And (BA)you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But (BB)the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

15 (BC)“You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall (BD)put their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and (BE)sprinkle it all around on the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and with its head. 18 And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a (BF)burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

19 (BG)“You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. 20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. 21 And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of (BH)the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and (BI)he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

22 “Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), 23 (BJ)one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord; 24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall (BK)wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 (BL)You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the Lord. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

26 “Then you shall take (BM)the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. 27 And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate (BN)the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons. 28 It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons (BO)by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering; (BP)it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

29 “And the (BQ)holy garments of Aaron (BR)shall be his sons’ after him, (BS)to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. 30 (BT)That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for (BU)seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the [p]holy place.

31 “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and (BV)boil its flesh in the holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the (BW)bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 33 (BX)They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; (BY)but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then (BZ)you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. (CA)Seven days you shall consecrate them. 36 And you (CB)shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. (CC)You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. (CD)Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

The Daily Offerings(CE)

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: (CF)two lambs of the first year, (CG)day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer (CH)in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer [q]at twilight. 40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 And the other lamb you shall (CI)offer [r]at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 42 This shall be (CJ)a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, (CK)where I will meet you to speak with you. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle (CL)shall be sanctified by My glory. 44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also (CM)consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. 45 (CN)I will dwell among the children of Israel and will (CO)be their God. 46 And they shall know that (CP)I am the Lord their God, who (CQ)brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Altar of Incense(CR)

30 “You shall make (CS)an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a [s]molding of gold all around. 4 Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And you shall put it before the (CT)veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the (CU)mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

7 “Aaron shall burn on it (CV)sweet incense every morning; when (CW)he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. 8 And when Aaron lights the lamps [t]at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer (CX)strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. 10 And (CY)Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

The Ransom Money

11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 (CZ)“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give (DA)a[u] ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no (DB)plague among them when you number them. 13 (DC)This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (DD)(a shekel is twenty gerahs). (DE)The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an [v]offering to the Lord. 15 The (DF)rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and (DG)shall [w]appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be (DH)a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

The Bronze Laver

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 (DI)“You shall also make a [x]laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall (DJ)put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons (DK)shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And (DL)it shall be a [y]statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The Holy Anointing Oil(DM)

22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself (DN)quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid (DO)myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling (DP)cane, 24 five hundred shekels of (DQ)cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a (DR)hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be (DS)a holy anointing oil. 26 (DT)With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; (DU)whatever touches them must be holy. 30 (DV)And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

31 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. (DW)It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (DX)Whoever [z]compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, (DY)shall be [aa]cut off from his people.’ ”

The Incense(DZ)

34 And the Lord said to Moses: (EA)“Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound (EB)according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting (EC)where I will meet with you. (ED)It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, (EE)you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its [ab]composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 (EF)Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”

Artisans for Building the Tabernacle(EG)

31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 (EH)“See, I have called by name Bezalel the (EI)son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have (EJ)filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him (EK)Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the (EL)gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 7 (EM)the tabernacle of meeting, (EN)the ark of the Testimony and (EO)the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— 8 (EP)the table and its utensils, (EQ)the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, 9 (ER)the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and (ES)the laver and its base— 10 (ET)the [ac]garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, 11 (EU)and the anointing oil and (EV)sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

The Sabbath Law

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: (EW)‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who (EX)sanctifies[ad] you. 14 (EY)You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who [ae]profanes it shall surely be put to death; for (EZ)whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for (FA)six days, but the (FB)seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is (FC)a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for (FD)in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses (FE)two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:2 sacred
  2. Exodus 28:4 Ornamented vest
  3. Exodus 28:8 ingenious work of
  4. Exodus 28:17 Or ruby
  5. Exodus 28:19 Or amber
  6. Exodus 28:20 Or yellow jasper
  7. Exodus 28:20 Or carnelian
  8. Exodus 28:27 ingenious work of
  9. Exodus 28:30 Lit. Lights and the Perfections
  10. Exodus 28:38 sacred
  11. Exodus 28:40 headpieces or turbans
  12. Exodus 28:41 set them apart
  13. Exodus 28:42 bare flesh
  14. Exodus 28:42 Lit. be
  15. Exodus 28:43 guilt
  16. Exodus 29:30 sanctuary
  17. Exodus 29:39 Lit. between the two evenings
  18. Exodus 29:41 Lit. between the two evenings
  19. Exodus 30:3 border
  20. Exodus 30:8 Lit. between the two evenings
  21. Exodus 30:12 the price of a life
  22. Exodus 30:14 contribution
  23. Exodus 30:16 give
  24. Exodus 30:18 basin
  25. Exodus 30:21 requirement
  26. Exodus 30:33 mixes
  27. Exodus 30:33 Put to death
  28. Exodus 30:37 Lit. proportion
  29. Exodus 31:10 Or woven garments
  30. Exodus 31:13 consecrates
  31. Exodus 31:14 defiles
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Exodus 28-31
New International Version

The Priestly Garments

28 “Have Aaron(A) your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu,(B) Eleazar and Ithamar,(C) so they may serve me as priests.(D) 2 Make sacred garments(E) for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.(F) 3 Tell all the skilled workers(G) to whom I have given wisdom(H) in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest. 4 These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece,(I) an ephod,(J) a robe,(K) a woven tunic,(L) a turban(M) and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. 5 Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.(N)

The Ephod(O)

6 “Make the ephod(P) of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen—the work of skilled hands. 7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners, so it can be fastened. 8 Its skillfully woven waistband(Q) is to be like it—of one piece with the ephod and made with gold, and with blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and with finely twisted linen.

9 “Take two onyx stones and engrave(R) on them the names of the sons of Israel 10 in the order of their birth—six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. 11 Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree settings 12 and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the names on his shoulders(S) as a memorial(T) before the Lord. 13 Make gold filigree settings 14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a rope, and attach the chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece(U)

15 “Fashion a breastpiece(V) for making decisions—the work of skilled hands. Make it like the ephod: of gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted linen. 16 It is to be square—a span[a] long and a span wide—and folded double. 17 Then mount four rows of precious stones(W) on it. The first row shall be carnelian, chrysolite(X) and beryl; 18 the second row shall be turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; 19 the third row shall be jacinth, agate and amethyst; 20 the fourth row shall be topaz, onyx and jasper.[b] Mount them in gold filigree settings. 21 There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel,(Y) each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.(Z)

22 “For the breastpiece make braided chains of pure gold, like a rope. 23 Make two gold rings for it and fasten them to two corners of the breastpiece. 24 Fasten the two gold chains to the rings at the corners of the breastpiece, 25 and the other ends of the chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front. 26 Make two gold rings and attach them to the other two corners of the breastpiece on the inside edge next to the ephod. 27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the seam just above the waistband of the ephod. 28 The rings of the breastpiece are to be tied to the rings of the ephod with blue cord, connecting it to the waistband, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.

29 “Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place,(AA) he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. 30 Also put the Urim and the Thummim(AB) in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord.

Other Priestly Garments(AC)

31 “Make the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth, 32 with an opening for the head in its center. There shall be a woven edge like a collar[c] around this opening, so that it will not tear. 33 Make pomegranates(AD) of blue, purple and scarlet yarn around the hem of the robe, with gold bells between them. 34 The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. 35 Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

36 “Make a plate(AE) of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.(AF) 37 Fasten a blue cord to it to attach it to the turban; it is to be on the front of the turban. 38 It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and he will bear the guilt(AG) involved in the sacred gifts the Israelites consecrate, whatever their gifts may be. It will be on Aaron’s forehead continually so that they will be acceptable(AH) to the Lord.

39 “Weave the tunic(AI) of fine linen and make the turban(AJ) of fine linen. The sash is to be the work of an embroiderer. 40 Make tunics, sashes and caps for Aaron’s sons(AK) to give them dignity and honor.(AL) 41 After you put these clothes(AM) on your brother Aaron and his sons, anoint(AN) and ordain them. Consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.(AO)

42 “Make linen undergarments(AP) as a covering for the body, reaching from the waist to the thigh. 43 Aaron and his sons must wear them whenever they enter the tent of meeting(AQ) or approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place,(AR) so that they will not incur guilt and die.(AS)

“This is to be a lasting ordinance(AT) for Aaron and his descendants.

Consecration of the Priests(AU)

29 “This is what you are to do to consecrate(AV) them, so they may serve me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without defect.(AW) 2 And from the finest wheat flour make round loaves without yeast, thick loaves without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, and thin loaves without yeast and brushed with olive oil.(AX) 3 Put them in a basket and present them along with the bull and the two rams.(AY) 4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.(AZ) 5 Take the garments(BA) and dress Aaron with the tunic, the robe of the ephod, the ephod itself and the breastpiece. Fasten the ephod on him by its skillfully woven waistband.(BB) 6 Put the turban(BC) on his head and attach the sacred emblem(BD) to the turban. 7 Take the anointing oil(BE) and anoint him by pouring it on his head. 8 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics(BF) 9 and fasten caps on them. Then tie sashes on Aaron and his sons.[d](BG) The priesthood is theirs by a lasting ordinance.(BH)

“Then you shall ordain Aaron and his sons.

10 “Bring the bull to the front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BI) 11 Slaughter it in the Lord’s presence(BJ) at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 12 Take some of the bull’s blood and put it on the horns(BK) of the altar with your finger, and pour out the rest of it at the base of the altar.(BL) 13 Then take all the fat(BM) on the internal organs,(BN) the long lobe of the liver, and both kidneys with the fat on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But burn the bull’s flesh and its hide and its intestines(BO) outside the camp.(BP) It is a sin offering.[e]

15 “Take one of the rams,(BQ) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BR) 16 Slaughter it and take the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar. 17 Cut the ram into pieces and wash(BS) the internal organs and the legs, putting them with the head and the other pieces. 18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the Lord, a pleasing aroma,(BT) a food offering presented to the Lord.

19 “Take the other ram,(BU) and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.(BV) 20 Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.(BW) Then splash blood against the sides of the altar.(BX) 21 And take some blood(BY) from the altar and some of the anointing oil(BZ) and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments. Then he and his sons and their garments will be consecrated.(CA)

22 “Take from this ram the fat,(CB) the fat tail, the fat on the internal organs, the long lobe of the liver, both kidneys with the fat on them, and the right thigh. (This is the ram for the ordination.) 23 From the basket of bread made without yeast, which is before the Lord, take one round loaf, one thick loaf with olive oil mixed in, and one thin loaf. 24 Put all these in the hands of Aaron and his sons and have them wave them before the Lord as a wave offering.(CC) 25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering for a pleasing aroma to the Lord, a food offering presented to the Lord.(CD) 26 After you take the breast of the ram for Aaron’s ordination, wave it before the Lord as a wave offering, and it will be your share.(CE)

27 “Consecrate those parts of the ordination ram that belong to Aaron and his sons:(CF) the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. 28 This is always to be the perpetual share from the Israelites for Aaron and his sons. It is the contribution the Israelites are to make to the Lord from their fellowship offerings.(CG)

29 “Aaron’s sacred garments(CH) will belong to his descendants so that they can be anointed and ordained in them.(CI) 30 The son(CJ) who succeeds him as priest and comes to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place is to wear them seven days.

31 “Take the ram(CK) for the ordination and cook the meat in a sacred place.(CL) 32 At the entrance to the tent of meeting, Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread(CM) that is in the basket. 33 They are to eat these offerings by which atonement was made for their ordination and consecration. But no one else may eat(CN) them, because they are sacred. 34 And if any of the meat of the ordination ram or any bread is left over till morning,(CO) burn it up. It must not be eaten, because it is sacred.

35 “Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you, taking seven days to ordain them. 36 Sacrifice a bull each day(CP) as a sin offering to make atonement(CQ). Purify the altar by making atonement for it, and anoint it to consecrate(CR) it. 37 For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.(CS)

38 “This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day:(CT) two lambs a year old. 39 Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight.(CU) 40 With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah[f] of the finest flour mixed with a quarter of a hin[g] of oil(CV) from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering.(CW) 41 Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight(CX) with the same grain offering(CY) and its drink offering as in the morning—a pleasing aroma, a food offering presented to the Lord.

42 “For the generations to come(CZ) this burnt offering is to be made regularly(DA) at the entrance to the tent of meeting,(DB) before the Lord. There I will meet you and speak to you;(DC) 43 there also I will meet with the Israelites, and the place will be consecrated by my glory.(DD)

44 “So I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar and will consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests.(DE) 45 Then I will dwell(DF) among the Israelites and be their God.(DG) 46 They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt(DH) so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.(DI)

The Altar of Incense(DJ)

30 “Make an altar(DK) of acacia wood for burning incense.(DL) 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high[h]—its horns(DM) of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.(DN) 4 Make two gold rings(DO) for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.(DP) 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover(DQ) that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you.

7 “Aaron must burn fragrant incense(DR) on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.(DS) 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense(DT) or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year(DU) Aaron shall make atonement(DV) on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering[i](DW) for the generations to come.(DX) It is most holy to the Lord.”

Atonement Money

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census(DY) of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the Lord a ransom(DZ) for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague(EA) will come on them when you number them. 13 Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel,[j] according to the sanctuary shekel,(EB) which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the Lord. 14 All who cross over, those twenty years old or more,(EC) are to give an offering to the Lord. 15 The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less(ED) when you make the offering to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Receive the atonement(EE) money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting.(EF) It will be a memorial(EG) for the Israelites before the Lord, making atonement for your lives.”

Basin for Washing

17 Then the Lord said to Moses, 18 “Make a bronze basin,(EH) with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet(EI) with water(EJ) from it. 20 Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die.(EK) Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance(EL) for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”(EM)

Anointing Oil

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(EN) 500 shekels[k] of liquid myrrh,(EO) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(EP) 250 shekels[l] of fragrant calamus,(EQ) 24 500 shekels(ER) of cassia(ES)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[m] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(ET) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(EU) 26 Then use it to anoint(EV) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(EW) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(EX)

30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(EY) them so they may serve me as priests.(EZ) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(FA) for the generations to come.(FB) 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.(FC) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(FD) from their people.’”

Incense

34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(FE)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(FF) the work of a perfumer.(FG) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet(FH) with you. It shall be most holy(FI) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(FJ) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(FK) from their people.”

Bezalel and Oholiab(FL)

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel(FM) son of Uri, the son of Hur,(FN) of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge(FO) and with all kinds of skills(FP)— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab(FQ) son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,(FR) to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers(FS) to make everything I have commanded you: 7 the tent of meeting,(FT) the ark of the covenant law(FU) with the atonement cover(FV) on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— 8 the table(FW) and its articles, the pure gold lampstand(FX) and all its accessories, the altar of incense,(FY) 9 the altar of burnt offering(FZ) and all its utensils, the basin(GA) with its stand— 10 and also the woven garments(GB), both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, 11 and the anointing oil(GC) and fragrant incense(GD) for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded(GE) you.”

The Sabbath

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, 13 “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.(GF) This will be a sign(GG) between me and you for the generations to come,(GH) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.(GI)

14 “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;(GJ) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. 15 For six days work(GK) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,(GL) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,(GM) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign(GN) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.(GO)’”(GP)

18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,(GQ) he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone(GR) inscribed by the finger of God.(GS)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 28:16 That is, about 9 inches or about 23 centimeters
  2. Exodus 28:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.
  3. Exodus 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  4. Exodus 29:9 Hebrew; Septuagint on them
  5. Exodus 29:14 Or purification offering; also in verse 36
  6. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 3 1/2 pounds or about 1.6 kilograms
  7. Exodus 29:40 That is, probably about 1 quart or about 1 liter
  8. Exodus 30:2 That is, about 1 1/2 feet long and wide and 3 feet high or about 45 centimeters long and wide and 90 centimeters high
  9. Exodus 30:10 Or purification offering
  10. Exodus 30:13 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.8 grams; also in verse 15
  11. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
  12. Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
  13. Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
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Exodus 27
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